Some years ago, (longer than I care to calculate) I spent a summer working in the bluegrass state of Kentucky. It was a perfect fit, a place totally obsessed with horses for a person with the same affliction.
It plays host to this year’s Breeder’ Cup and thankfully, there’s only a 4-hour time difference which means we can turn up the volume and let the sound of the trick-or-treating be replaced by some cracking Grade 1 action.
Referred to as “the equine Justin Beiber” by one British broadsheet, American Pharaoh could be the star of the show. The first horse in 37 years to land the U.S. Triple crown, on Saturday he could become the triple crown winner to land the Breeders’ Cup Classic. It will be his final race regardless, as the breeding shed awaits.
One of our lads, the Irish-trained Gleneagles could scupper this American Dream though, but there are lots of unknowns. Will he handle the dirt? Did he need the run when well beaten last time out? And in fact, is he good enough? I’m going to put it out there and answer yes to all of the above.
Golden Horn is odds-on to get the Union Jack hoisted at the Keenland track. The horse of the year has would have preferred the rain had stayed away, but he’s defied almost every obstacle this season and I’m sure he will again. I opposed him in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe because of his busy campaign so once bitten twice shy and all that.
Closer to home, Don Cossack, the highest-rated chaser in Britain and Ireland will be the main attraction at Down Royal in the JNWINE.com Chase. He faces just a trio of challengers in Roi Du Mee, Texas Jack and Rocky Creek. It would be a shocker if he failed to pass this test and he had an ideal warm up in Punchestown recently so he deserves banker status today.
He won the Grade 2 Powers Irish Whiskey Chase here last year, interrupting trainer Paul Nicholls’ six winning sequence in the contest. I think the UK jumps maestro will be back to winning ways with this years representative Ptit Zigg who won his first race of last season, and fingers crossed he can again.
Happy Halloween!
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